Scottish Executive

Autism

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the views and concerns of the Cross-Party Group on Autistic Spectrum Disorder and of parents will be taken into account when consideration is given to any review of the Record of Needs system.

Cathy Jamieson: A total of 148 responses were received during the consultation on Assessing our children’s educational needs: The Way Forward? last year, including a response from the Education Sub-Group of the Cross Party Group on Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Since publication of the Executive’s response to the consultation (Bib. number 19469), we have held further consultation seminars attended by over 300 delegates, including education authority staff, educational psychologists, teachers, health professionals, social workers, voluntary organisations and parents, and representatives from the Cross Party Group on Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Responses received and comments raised during these events are being taken into account as the proposals for changing the assessment and recording procedures for children with special educational needs are being developed.

Care of Elderly People

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its policy of free personal care for elderly people is being implemented nationally in line with its expectations.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive believes that there has been a fair and consistent implementation across Scotland. Chair of the Implementation Steering Group, Alexis Jay, is receiving regular feedback from local authorities and the overall picture is very positive.

Concessionary Travel

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to promote the new concessionary travel scheme.

Lewis Macdonald: Iain Gray launched the introduction of free local off-peak bus travel for elderly and disabled people on 30 September.

  The enhanced arrangements have also been publicised by a nationwide advertising campaign including posters at bus shelters, and on and in buses. These posters advised concession cardholders of the minimum benefits to which they are now entitled.

  Regionalised adverts covering the impact of the new minimum entitlements on each of the existing concessionary travel schemes have been placed in 91 local newspapers.

  These messages complement the guidance and information produced by councils, at a local level, on individual concessionary travel schemes.

Concessionary Travel

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the nationwide advertising campaign launched on 10 September 2002 about its free local off-peak concessionary bus travel for elderly and disabled people will cost.

Lewis Macdonald: The cost of the nationwide advertising campaign, launched on 10 September 2002, to publicise enhanced concessionary fare arrangements for elderly and disabled people is £287,857.38 (including VAT).

Dental Health

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has received on whether fluoridation of drinking water supplies, as considered in Towards Better Oral Health in Children , would be in contravention of any European Union law.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Questions relating to compliance with European Union Law could only be properly tested against a specific legislative proposition or fluoridation scheme. Towards Better Oral Health in Children contains no such proposal.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out into the (a) prevalence and (b) costs of on-going medical conditions as a result of domestic abuse.

Malcolm Chisholm: In Scotland, the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland. The CSO is not currently directly funding any research projects into the prevalence and costs of on-going medical conditions as a result of domestic abuse but would be prepared to consider suitable research applications on this subject in the future. These would need to be of a sufficiently high standard and would be subject to the usual committee and peer review.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the NHS’s guidance on domestic abuse will be resourced and monitored across all NHS board areas.

Malcolm Chisholm: Draft guidelines for health care professionals on responding to domestic abuse were issued in June for consultation. Respondents' comments will be analysed and the guidelines will be finalised in the light of these. Any additional resources and arrangements for monitoring implementation will be considered at that stage and will be announced when the final guidelines are published towards the end of the year.

Drug Misuse

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent progress it has made in tackling drug abuse.

Mr Jim Wallace: Our Drugs Strategy is based on four pillars – young people, communities, treatment and availability. The strategy is supported by £130 million, in new resources, over three years. Scotland’s 22 Drug Action Teams take the lead in implementing the strategy at local level.

  We are making steady progress. For example, new and improved treatment and rehabilitation services are being rolled out across Scotland, supported by our new resources. Our "Know the Score" Drugs Communications Strategy is providing factual information to the public on the risks posed by drugs, and where help and advice can be obtained. Our enforcement bodies are seizing record amounts of Class A drugs, which cause the most harm to individuals and communities.

  More detailed information on progress in 2002 will be provided in the Executive’s Annual Report on Drug Misuse, which will be published later this year.

Employment

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available or being provided to people being made redundant following the announcement that the Alcan plant at Burntisland, Fife, is to close.

Iain Gray: Following the announcement of the proposed closure of Alcan’s Burntisland facility, Scottish Development International officials have had on-going meetings with both local and corporate management to minimise the impact of any such action. The 90-day consultation period began on 11 September 2002 and therefore it is premature to make definitive assumptions about the outcome.

  However, in the event of any job losses, support will be provided to those affected through the Fife local response team in conjunction with the Executive’s PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) framework. This will ensure a rapid response from local agencies in terms of offering advice, support and guidance on the range of retraining/upskilling and employment opportunities.

Enterprise

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address any shortfall of new business start-ups in the greater Glasgow area.

Iain Gray: Scottish Enterprise is providing a range of measures under its New Approach to Entrepreneurship to increase the number of start-ups assisted across the Enterprise Network. I understand that a number of local measures are also being put in place by Scottish Enterprise Glasgow.

Enterprise

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote enterprise in Fife.

Iain Gray: Scottish Enterprise Fife is taking action in line with the direction and priorities set out in the Executive’s A Smart, Successful Scotland . This sets out the foundation for sustained improvement in economic performance in Scotland. It focuses on three key challenges for raising productivity:

  Growing businesses

  Global connections

  Learning and skills

  Provision of information on programmes and projects is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.

  The Fife Local Economic Forum, of which Scottish Enterprise Fife is a member, provides a mechanism for co-ordinated delivery of local economic development activities.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) percentage and (b) monetary increase in business investment in research and development would be required to equal the average percentage and amount of gross domestic product (GDP) spent on research and development across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries as referred to in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: Business Enterprise Research and Development spending in Scotland was 0.53% of GDP, compared to 1.54% for the OECD (this includes estimated figures for some countries). Accordingly research and development spending in Scotland would have to rise - from the 1999 level - by 190%, or £750 million, to reach the OECD average percentage of GDP.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage increase in productivity levels in industry would be required to equal the average level of productivity across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, as referred to in target 2 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: In 1999, Scottish productivity was marginally below the UK average, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). According to OECD statistics, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person employed in the UK was 92% of the OECD average in 1999. This suggests that GDP per person employed in Scotland was around 8% lower than the OECD average in 1999. However, this is an approximate figure given the problems of comparing productivity data from ONS and OECD sources. The department is presently considering how best to combine these sources to provide a rigorous comparison of productivity in Scotland with productivity in OECD competitors.

  Further details of the measurement and monitoring of this target will be published later in the Building a Better Scotland - Spending Review Proposals 2003-06, Technical Notes.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to assess applications for regional selective assistance grants of £2 million and over against its sustainable development objectives by 2004, as referred to in target 3 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: All applications for Regional Selective Assistance are assessed against the scheme’s standard eligibility criteria. The additional sustainable development assessment, to be applied to grants of £2 million and over from 2004, will be developed in the intervening period. The specific criteria to be used in this assessment are therefore still under consideration, but will be informed by the objectives and indicators outlined in Meeting the Needs…Priorities, Actions and Targets for Sustainable Development in Scotland , a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 20879).

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of its modern apprenticeship targets by under-represented groups, as referred to in target 4 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: We will be working with the Enterprise Network and Sector Skills Councils to increase modern apprenticeships in sectors where there is less of an apprenticeship tradition, and which employ more females. Agreed targets will be published in the Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise annual operating plans.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline figure will be used to measure and monitor the number of people in employment undertaking training and whether this figure will be broken down by region or sector, as referred to in target 5 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: The proportion of those of working age in employment undertaking training is 27% in Quarter 1 (spring) 2001, which is the baseline figure for this target. This figure will be available by unitary authority and by industry sector.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will close the gap in unemployment rates between the worst 10% of areas and the Scottish average by 2006, as referred to in target 6 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: This target is derived from one of the 12 strategic priorities set out in A Smart, Successful Scotland  under the Skills & Learning theme. This recognises the importance to the Scottish economy of ensuring that all communities are trained and ready for work. Indicators have been set in Measuring Scotland’s Progress Towards A Smart, Successful Scotland which will track progress towards narrowing the gap in unemployment.

  The Scottish Enterprise Operating Plan for 2002-03 sets out the specific actions currently being undertaken across the enterprise network to address imbalances in employment rates. The Executive is now in discussions with Scottish Enterprise regarding the development of the new operating plan which will take into account the activities required to meet this and other targets contained in Building a Better Scotland.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline figure will be used to measure and monitor the proportion of 16- to 19-year-olds not in education, training and employment, as referred to in target 7 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of  Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: The baseline figure against which performance on this target will be measured is 14% based on Quarter 1 (spring) 2001 figures from the Labour Force Survey.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what definition will be used of low income families in relation to increasing support to 16- to 19-year-olds, as referred to in target 8 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: In our pilots of Educational Maintenance Allowances (EMA), support for 16- to 19-year-olds is targeted at families whose income is less than £25,000 per annum.

  Details of how EMAs will be rolled out will be announced in due course. An evaluation of the current pilots will be taken into account.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline figures will be used to measure and monitor the number of 16- to 19-year-olds from low income families staying on at school or attending further education colleges, as referred to in target 8 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: Baseline figures for measurement of these targets will be derived from the academic year 2001-02. The target end date will be 2007-08. This will be confirmed once the programme for rolling out Education Maintenance Allowances   (EMAs) has been set.

  This information will be published later in the month in the Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06, Technical Notes.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline figure will be used to measure and monitor the number of graduates as a proportion of the workforce, as referred to in target 9 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: The baseline figure for measurement of this target will be the figure for the calendar year 2001. Labour Force Survey Statistics show that the proportion of graduates in the workforce in 2001 is 18%. Data at the Scottish level will be published annually in the Scottish Executive/Enterprise Networks publication Joint Performance Team: Measuring Scotland’s Progress Towards a Smart Successful Scotland .

  Further details of the measurement and monitoring of this target will be published later in the Building a Better Scotland - Spending Review Proposals 2003-06, Technical Notes.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those joint academic and industry ventures that are currently assisted, as referred to in target 10 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: Although the spending proposals refer to future years, there is a great deal of work under way to ensure that this target is met and it is anticipated that at least 150 such ventures will be supported by the Executive and its agencies through, for example, SMART, Enterprise Fellowships, TCS and the development of the Intermediary Technology Institutes. Commercial confidentiality prevents the listing of ventures under development.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of "enterprise and lifelong learning other", as listed in the spending plans table in the enterprise and lifelong section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Andy Kerr: A breakdown of the level 2 baseline "the enterprise and lifelong learning other" figures for the years 2003-06, contained in the enterprise and lifelong section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys , is currently being prepared as part of the Budget Stage 2 process.

  A breakdown of this baseline figure for 2002-03 can be found within the supporting documentation for the Budget (Scotland) Act No.3.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the spending plans for regional selective assistance include monies set aside for the new venture capital fund, as referred to in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: Yes.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council spending plans by academic subject, as set out in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: The allocation of funds to individual higher education institutions (HEIs) is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC), which currently decides detailed allocations on an annual cycle. Around March each year SHEFC sets out the funds being offered to individual HEIs for the coming academic year in its Main Grant Letter. The Main Grant Letter explains the detail of the allocation model and provides detail on the calculations underpinning the allocations. For 2002-03, Table A2 of the Main Grant Letter provides information on Main Teaching Grant allocations by subject group and Table B2 provides information on the Main Quality Research Grant by subject.

  SHEFC’s 2002-03 Grant Letter can be found on its website at:

  www.shefc.ac.uk/content/library/circs/02/he1502/Mainletter.htm.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of the (a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise spending plans in relation to the career service budget, as set out in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Andy Kerr: The Careers Scotland budgets are now the responsibility of the Enterprise Networks. Further information on Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise budgets will be set out in the Draft Budget Document published in October.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the savings made from the Business Transformation Project will be re-allocated in each year to 2003-06, as referred to in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Iain Gray: As indicated in Building a Better Scotland , Scottish Enterprise will achieve savings of approximately £45 million a year from its Business Transformation project over the three-year period of the Spending Review.

  Scottish Enterprise have stated in their annual report that some of the savings will be used towards priority projects such as Intermediary Technology Institutes, Fund of Funds, Project Atlas and the Pacific Quay media centre. These priorities are in line with the strategic direction set by A Smart, Successful Scotland.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of the spending on enterprise and education by its departments in each of the last three years and as planned for each of the next three years.

Mr Andy Kerr: Detailed spending plans by portfolio for the last three years were provided in the Annual Expenditure Report: The Scottish Budget published in March 2002. The Draft Budget Document published in October will provide detailed information on spending plans until 2005-06.

Further and Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it understands to be the definition of "liberalisation" under the General Agreement on Trade in Services proposals on trade in services as it will affect tertiary education.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure there is no adverse impact on universities should the current round of General Agreement on Trade in Services negotiations on trade in services agree to a complete liberalisation of tertiary education.

Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29657 on 2 October 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Health

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of genital mutilation have been reported in each year from 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: At national level, available health information is not recorded in a form that would allow such cases to be accurately identified.

Health Promotion

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is promoting walking and cycling.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is providing additional resources to local authorities, totalling nearly £22 million over the period 2000 to 2004, for Safer Routes to School and Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets projects.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to meet Glasgow Housing Association and Glasgow City Council concerning the timetable for the proposed Glasgow housing stock transfer.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Glasgow stock transfer is a highly complex and ambitious project to improve housing conditions for around 80,000 tenants, and the Scottish Executive is in regular contact with both Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Housing Association to take it forward.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been in respect of vandalism and attacks on trains in each sheriff court in each year since 1999 and what sentences were imposed as a result of such prosecutions.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Information requested is not held centrally.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many mothers have been diagnosed with (a) post-natal depression and (b) puerperal psychosis in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is not currently possible to obtain a reliable estimate of the incidence of these specific conditions.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many mothers diagnosed with (a) post-natal depression and (b) puerperal psychosis have been admitted to psychiatric units in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of patients explicitly diagnosed with post-natal depression or puerperal psychosis and discharged from in-patient care in psychiatric specialties are shown in the following table, for years ending 31 March 1998 to 2002. It is understood that these figures may represent an undercount of the total treated as other patients with these conditions may have been given less specific diagnoses, e.g. depression or unspecified puerperal mental disorders.

  Patients Discharged from Psychiatric Specialties1 with a Diagnosis of Post-Natal Depression or Puerperal Psychosis

  


Years Ending 31 March 
  

Post-Natal Depression 
  

Puerperal Psychosis 
  



1998 
  

35 
  

16 
  



1999 
  

32 
  

12 
  



2000 
  

13 
  

13 
  



2001 
  

29 
  

9 
  



2002P


28 
  

14 
  



  PProvisional.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many psychiatric units have specialist units for mothers diagnosed with (a) post-natal depression and (b) puerperal psychosis in order to accommodate safely both mother and child.

Malcolm Chisholm: National information returns do not identify such specialist units.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is addressing post-natal depression and puerperal psychosis nationally.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specialist care is available in the community for mothers diagnosed with (a) post-natal depression and (b) puerperal psychosis.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: In terms of organisation and delivery of care, it is for all NHS boards and their care partners to consider what provision best suits the assessed needs of their area. Services that are in place range from Community Psychiatric Nursing Services, Psychiatric Obstetric Liaison services to support and interventions in the community such as outreach nursery workers, home support services and parenting programmes.

  To help with the organisation of provision the Health Department published guidance in March 1999 on the best organisation and provision of post-natal depression services. The guidance promotes a systematic approach to the prevention, detection and treatment of post-natal depression through an Integrated Care Pathway, involving contributions and resources from all relevant skilled professionals.

  Further, agencies are expected to apply the best practice approaches set out in the recently published Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network evidence-based guidance on Postnatal Depression and Puerperal Psychosis.

  Work is also under way to develop information systems which will allow the care of women with post-natal depression to be recorded systematically so that agencies have the information, practice and procedures to screen all women and to arrange appropriate follow-up care.

  The visiting Mental Health and Well-being Support Group published a national summary of current practice and innovations in the organisation of post-natal depression support and services across Scotland at: www.show.scot.nhs.uk/mhwbsg. The group consider and report on local responses as part of their local and national review process.

  The Health Department guidance is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 24358).

Mental Health

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people with mental health problems have been placed in secure units in each local authority area in each of the last three years.

Cathy Jamieson: Between 1998-99 and 2000-01 in Scotland, secure units reported no children having a clinically diagnosed mental health illness. However, many young people in secure accommodation do have mental health problems. The Health Department is conducting a review of the need for a secure facility for such young people. This should be completed by the end of the year.

NHS Waiting Times

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) children and (b) adolescents are currently waiting for a referral for psychological treatment.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average waiting time is from (a) referral by a GP and (b) referral by any other person for (i) children and (ii) adolescents to receive psychological treatment.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

Oil and Gas Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it now has any plans to measure the impact on the economy of Her Majesty’s Government’s 10% tax on oil and gas profits.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive will continue to work with the UK Government to support the success of the North Sea oil and gas industry and is committed to the PILOT targets to promote and sustain investment.

People with Disabilities

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to improve services for disabled people.

Ms Margaret Curran: Policies across the whole range of Scottish Executive responsibilities aim to provide better services for disabled people. Through consultation with service users and disability groups the Executive aims to ensure that the needs and requirements of disabled people are identified and enhanced.

  In addition, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, such as providing extra help or making changes to the way they provide their services. From October 2004 they may also have to make reasonable adjustments to the physical features of their premises to overcome physical barriers to access.

Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is implementing the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 relating to the seizure of drug dealers’ assets.

Mr Jim Wallace: A major implementation programme is well under way, involving relevant officials and agencies across the UK. Scottish Executive and Crown Office officials are represented on the Home Office Implementation Group, and a separate Scottish implementation group has also been set up.

  On 23 August 2002 the Executive published for consultation a draft code of practice in relation to searches for suspected cash, as required by section 293 of the act. The finalised code will be brought into effect by statutory instrument after it has been approved by the Scottish Parliament. The Executive is in the process of recruiting an "appointed person" to scrutinise police use of cash search powers under section 290 and 291 of the act. We intend that the cash provisions in part 5 of the act, and also the money laundering provisions in part 7, will be implemented in December 2002.

  The bulk of the rest of the act will be implemented by February 2003. Prior to that we will also be issuing a draft code on the use of the new investigations powers in part 8. Following consultation, it will be subject to approval by the Scottish Parliament.

  In Scotland, the existing Crown Office Criminal Confiscation Unit is being strengthened and a new Civil Recovery Unit set up. A major training exercise involving procurators fiscal, police, customs and excise officers and other involved in enforcing the act’s provisions is under way.

Public Transport

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28208 by Mr Andy Kerr on 2 September 2002, what factors have contributed to the overall increase in subsidies paid by local authorities to bus operators over the period from 1999-2000 to 2001-02.

Lewis Macdonald: Decisions on whether to provide supported bus services are a matter for individual local authorities. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28208 on 2 September 2002, which demonstrates that expenditure on supported bus services varies between local authorities and reflects local circumstances. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Quality of Life

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures have been taken to improve the quality of life in the Highlands.

Peter Peacock: Among many other measures it takes in the Highlands, the Executive recently approved an additional £4.3 million to Highland Council to spend on quality of life initiatives.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what companies have been approached regarding the use of the proposed Stirling/Alloa/Dunfermline rail link for freight trains.

Lewis Macdonald: Extensive consultation with local and national companies has been undertaken over the past two years.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what projects have been supported by the Strategic Rail Authority in Scotland and how much funding the authority has given to each such project in each of the last five years.

Lewis Macdonald: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) was established in February 2001. The SRA published their Strategic Plan in January 2002, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 18609). The Strategic Plan sets out the projects that the SRA is seeking to support in Scotland.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice, guidance or instructions it has issued regarding the interoperation of rail and bus at Edinburgh Waverley Station.

Lewis Macdonald: An extensive programme of preparatory and investigative work is currently under way at Waverley Station and outputs from this are required before any detailed design work can begin. The work is addressing a wide range of issues including how best to integrate bus and train services at the station.

  The Executive is contributing up to £1 million towards the cost of the preparatory and investigative work.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many days rail links have been inoperable owing to flooding in each year since 1999, broken down by railway line.

Lewis Macdonald: Railtrack is responsible for the running of the railway infrastructure. The information requested is not held centrally.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been (a) spent on and (b) committed to reopening the Stirling/Alloa/Dunfermline link; by which organisations such funding has been spent or committed, and what the amount of funding is in each case.

Lewis Macdonald: So far Clackmannanshire Council has been awarded £6.5 million from the Public Transport Fund (PTF).

  Actual spend on the project, as with all PTF awards, is a matter for the promoting authority – in this case Clackmannanshire Council.

  The Stirling/Alloa/Kincardine Project Execution Team has established a funding group which is assembling the necessary funding package to reopen the railway.

Roads

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the spending review will have on the A75 Trans-European Network Route.

Lewis Macdonald: The trunk road programme will be maintained at a level which allows continuing improvements to long-distance, single carriageway strategic routes, such as the A75. This will include delivering on our current commitment to complete six major improvement schemes on the route.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reduce the amount it spends on advertising.

Mr Andy Kerr: The First Minister has said that he believes that there is scope to reduce expenditure on advertising by up to 25% within the next 12 months. This is currently being reviewed by myself and I will be providing advice to the First Minister shortly.

Scottish Executive Buildings

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it will provide, and to whom, in respect of the New St Andrew’s House site and, in particular, whether it will give any financial assistance for the building’s demolition or any construction costs.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Office moved out of New St Andrew’s House in 1995. The building was the responsibility of Property Holdings, the UK agency then responsible for government buildings. Property Advisers to the Civil Estate, the successor body to Property Holdings, sold the building, by then called St James House, in 1999. The Scottish Executive has no plans to offer financial assistance to the present owners of property interests in that site .

Scottish Rural Partnership Fund

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money was spent on publishing, printing and distributing its Scottish Rural Partnership Fund information and application pack.

Allan Wilson: The 2003-04 round of the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund (SRPF) was launched on Friday 30 August 2002. Some 2,200 application packs were produced to meet the perceived demand of those wishing to apply to the fund.

  A total figure of £8,391 was spent on the design, publishing, printing and distribution of the application pack.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Crown Office plans to focus on the prosecution of rape and sexual assault so that it can better deal with these crimes.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: Prosecutors will have a pivotal role in implementing the changes being introduced by the Sexual Offences (Procedures and Evidence) Act that comes into force on 1 November 2002. The act tightens up the rules about using evidence of a rape victim’s sexual history and will prohibit cross-examination of sexual offence victims by the accused. We have also just completed a major review of our investigation and prosecution of serious cases and, as a consequence, are about to embark on a significant exercise to ensure that we have the most effective working practices, supervision and training possible. This will, of course, include rape cases.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to pilot sexual assault referral centres.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has no plans of this kind. It is for individual Chief Constables to make local arrangements for dealing with victims of sexual assault.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27993 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 September 2002, who will be involved in reviewing the guidance to police regarding the investigation of sexual assaults and what information will be used to inform the review.

Mr Jim Wallace: The review is being led by officials within the Justice Department, but is necessarily a cross-cutting exercise involving a number of interests both within and outwith the Executive. As a first stage in this process, officials will be working with ACPOS to consider how the existing guidance can be improved. The review will seek to make sure it has information about different procedures throughout the UK and that it has the benefit of the knowledge and experience of those operating and affected by these procedures, including Scottish Rape Crisis Network and Scottish Women's Aid.

Tourism

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve directional signing to the A92 coastal tourist route to Aberdeen.

Lewis Macdonald: It is for VisitScotland to submit to Scottish ministers proposals for signing on a national tourist route. No such proposals have been submitted for this route.

Waste Management

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to any physical, practical and financial constraints which may face The Highland Council in implementing an effective waste strategy; whether it will provide assistance to the council to implement such a strategy from the Strategic Waste Fund, and, if so, how much it will provide and over what period.

Ross Finnie: As part of the implementation of the National Waste Strategy, an Area Waste Plan is being prepared to establish the Best Practicable Environmental Option for waste in the Highland Council area. A draft plan is available on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s website at: http://www.sepa.org.uk/ . In preparing the plan the strategy group, which includes the council, followed published guidance and considered physical, practical, financial, social and environmental constraints.

  The Highland Council is also preparing a public private partnership contract for the treatment and disposal of waste collected by the council. The Executive has been kept informed of the progress of the waste PPP scheme. However, the council has not yet submitted a bid for support from the Strategic Waste Fund. The Executive has not therefore made an assessment about what level of support might be provided to the council to assist in implementing the Highland Area Waste Plan.